1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a handle device, more particularly a retractable handle device for a wheeled suitcase.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional retractable handle device (B) is shown to be mounted on a rear surface (C) of a wheeled suitcase (A). As best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the conventional retractable handle device (B) includes a pair of storage tubes 50, a handle member 51, a hollow seat frame 20 and a locking mechanism.
Each of the storage tubes 50 is mounted on the rear surface (C) of the wheeled suitcase (A) and has a top open end 501 and a first engaging hole 500 adjacent to the top open end 501. The hollow seat frame 20 has two opposite end portions 24 fastened to the storage tubes 50 and extends therebetween adjacent to the top open ends 501 of the latter. The hollow seat frame 20 confines a receiving space 201 therein which is communicated with an interior of a respective one of the storage tubes 50 via the first engaging hole 500. The seat frame 20 has a substantially flat top wall 21 formed with two through-holes 22 and two internally threaded posts 23 that extend downwardly into the receiving space 201.
The handle member 51 is U-shaped and has two parallel arm portions 510 that are inserted slidingly into the storage tubes 50 via the top open ends 501. Each of the arm portions 510 is provided with a second engaging hole 511 adjacent to its lowermost portion and aligned and communicated with a respective one of the first engaging holes 500 of the storage tubes 50 when the arm portions 510 are moved to a certain position with respect to the storage tubes 50.
The locking mechanism is constituted by a slide member 30, a holding seat 40, a push knob 10 and two biasing spring sets. Each of the biasing spring sets includes a spring member 513 provided within a respective one of the arm portions 510 and has a first end welded to the arm portion 510 adjacent to its lowermost end portion, and a curved projection 512 which is biased by a second end of the spring member 513 so that the curved projection 512 extends into the second engaging hole 500 of the respective one of the arm portions 510. The curved projection 512 extends into the first engaging hole 500 of the storage tube 50 when the latter is aligned with the second engaging hole 511 in order to lock the handle member 51 relative to the storage tubes 50.
The holding seat 40 includes an elongated plate 410 mounted to the hollow seat frame 20 at a lowermost portion thereof. The elongated plate 410 has a spring retaining post 41 which extends upwardly and centrally therefrom and a pair of vertical insert posts 42 disposed on both sides of the spring retaining post 41 and aligned respectively with the threaded posts 23 of the top wall 21. A compression spring 411 is sleeved around the spring retaining post 41. The slide member 30 is disposed on the elongated plate 410 and includes two opposite curved end portions 34 which abut against the external surfaces of the storage tubes 50 and an elongated bottom plate 301 which extends between the two curved end portions 34. Each of the curved end portions 34 is further provided with a recess 340, the purpose of which will be described in greater detail in the following paragraphs. The bottom plate 301 of the slide member 30 has a central hole 31 aligned with the spring retaining post 41 of the elongated plate 410, two retaining holes 32 formed on both sides of the central hole 31 and aligned respectively with the through holes 22 of the top wall 21, and a pair of mounting holes 33 aligned respectively with the insert posts 42 of the elongated plate 410. The spring retaining post 41 and the insert posts 42 of the holding frame 40 extend respectively through the central hole 31 and the mounting holes 33 of the slide member 30. A pair of locking screws 45 extend through the holding frame 40 and the slide member 30 and are threaded to the posts 23. The holding seat 40 is thus fastened securely to the seat frame 20. Under such a condition, the compression spring 411 biases the slide member 30 and disposes the latter adjacent to the top flat wall 21 of the seat frame 20 to align the curved recesses 340 on the curved end portions 34 of the slide member 30 with the first engaging holes 500 in the storage tube 50 so that the curved projection 512 extend into the curved recesses 340 via the first engaging holes 500 of the storage tubes 50 when the engaging holes 500, 511 are in alignment with each other. The push knob 10 includes two parallel connecting arms portions 12 with internally threaded distal end portions inserted through the through-holes 22 of the flat top wall 21 and threaded by two screws 35 that pass through the retaining holes 32 of the slide member 30.
In order to release the handle member 51 from the locked position, the push knob 10 is pressed downwardly to compress the slide member 30 correspondingly. Downward movement of the slide member 30 pushes the curved projections 512 against the biasing action of the spring members 513 to disengage the first and second engaging holes 500, 511 of the storage tubes 50 and the arm portions 510, thus permitting pushing of the handle member 51 inwardly for storage within the storage tubes 50.
Some of the drawbacks that result from the use of the conventional retractable handle device are as follows:
(I) It is difficult to weld the spring member within the parallel arm portions 510 of the handle member 51, since the parallel arm portions 510 are formed by tubes with relatively small diameters.
(II) The handle member 51 cannot be extended at a desired length because there is only one spring member mounted in each of the arm portions 510 therein. In order to permit retention of the handle member 51 at different lengths, a plurality of biasing spring sets must be mounted in the arm portions 510 of the handle member 51, thereby increasing the manufacturing costs incurred.